18th-22nd Conferences: Drug Abuse, Immune Modulation and AIDS

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This is a competitive renewal application seeking funding support for the 18th-22nd Conferences of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology (SNIP). The 18th SNIP Conference will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii from April 24-28, 2012. Subsequent conferences will be held in the Spring of 2013-2016. The aim of this conference is to identify the mechanisms by which substances of abuse (a) modulate the neuroimmune axis, (b) promote invasion by the HIV virus into the CNS, and (c) contribute to the development of neuroAIDS and related neuropathies. Symposia will address the interaction of a broad range of substances of abuse and HIV-related pathologies, including opportunistic pathogens, that affect the immune compromised host. Presentations selected by the SNIP Conference Committee will address the most recent advances in basic, clinical, and epidemiological research in neuroimmune pharmacology and substances of abuse, with particular emphasis on translational relevance. Topics at the 18th Conference will include: HIV latency and HIV reservoirs in the post-HAART era; alcohol, substance abuse, and neuroAIDS; rodent models of substance abuse and HIVassociated neurocognitive disorders (HAND); neuroimmunity and neurodegenerative diseases; and the emerging health risk posed by designer drugs, such as ¿spice¿ and bath salts in the United States. Training of young investigators is of particular interest to the Society and the Conferences will include a young investigator poster session, a young investigator symposium, and traveling awards that will be given to exceptional young investigators. The Conferences are structured to promote ethnic and gender diversity among the speakers and participants, and accommodations for attendees with special needs will be provided. Information on upcoming Conferences, participant registration, and travel arrangements will be provided on the Society¿s website. To share information presented at the Conference with the scientific community and publicat- large, meeting abstracts will be published in a Special Edition of the Journal of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, the official journal of SNIP, and highlights of the meeting will be disseminated through the Society¿s website, brochure mailings, and personal contacts.